Touch of an Angel
by Newclear
Summary: Hinata has been going out with Naruto, but now she finds out that Naruto is cheating on her! Also, someone mysterious has come to Konoha. who is he? what are his motives? My first story, one...of four.
1. A HeartBroken!

Touch of an Angel  
a Naruto Fanfic  
by Orphiel Wordweaver

(Note: This story occurs during Shippuden…After the death of Asuma…)

Prologue:  
2 weeks ago  
8:40

She didn't notice the cold. As she ran through to her house on that cold night, Hinata Hyuuga could only think about the pain she felt. The pain of a broken heart...  
It was almost like Fate, actually. As she made her way to the Ramen Shop earlier at sunset, as she and Naruto had agreed, but she saw a confusing sight. She saw Naruto, seated at the counter, but he was with Ino! At first, she was surprised at what she was seeing, but her surprise turned to sadness, and that turned to sorrow. And instead of going to Naruto, she simply watched them, an activity she had a lot experience with…

And so that night, as she felt the tears well up in her eyes, she dumped herself onto her bed and wept into it. She felt nothing, heard nothing, only the crushing pain of a heart torn to shreds…

She simply gave in to her despair, and cried herself to sleep…

Konoha's Gate  
12:00 PM

A flash of light suddenly blew apart night's grasp, and then the inky shroud of night covered the gate once more. There was empty ground before the light flashed, but now, three hooded figures stood in front of the gate. Between the two was a figure, the only person who was wearing a mask…

"Are you sure that this is the place?" said one, in a raspy voice.

"One is never sure of anything, in only faith do we know what to be sure of…" replied another, in a rather breezy voice.

But the one in the middle only smiled under his mask. He gazed at the gate for a few seconds, and then turned to face them.

"I'm sure this is it…" he said to them.

"How?" they said in unison.

"Because I feel one of them, the boy, is inside…And we need that boy to help us. Cataclysm is too great a foe to taken on by us three alone…especially if he has an avatar here….So we need all the help we can get…"he explained.

"So, where do we start?"said the raspy one. "Do we kick down every door in this crappy place? How about we start with…THIS ONE!!!" He rushed at the gate, gaining momentum for a flying kick. He leaped toward the door, and posed in the classic flying kick position. "HIIIIYYYYAHHHHH!!!!" he yelled. His foot connected…and he promptly fell onto the ground, clutching his foot in pain.

"Owwwwwww…"he moaned.

"That's what you get for trying to take down a door that's five times your size, Agni." She laughed.

"I KNOW THAT!!! Aw jeez… my foot hurts so bad…Why didn't my atomic blaze kick work?" the one called Agni, wondered.

"The cosmic rules of one world, as in the one we aided before his one, does not affect another." Said the masked one.

"Pardon my brother, Remiel, he's a new recruit, and he doesn't know about the cosmic rules and all the other stuff yet…" Breezy explained

"Don't worry about it, Rudra. No harm, no foul, right? Now, stand back…" Remiel said.

He pulled out a long black strip with runes written all over it. He stuck it onto the gate in the shape of a doorway, folded his hands together, and prayed. For a moment, nothing happened, and then, a bright light followed the gate's creases and notches. He pushed the space contained inside the strip, and it swung open, like a door was cut into the gate already.

"Well, what are you waitin' around there for? Come on!"He called to the two.

As the two followed him into Konoha, he thought back to the things he felt when he gazed at this place. He felt, grief, jubilation, panic, but most of all, a determined air hung about the place, like it had a truly steadfast will. But somewhere in this town, he felt a sorrow, a very familiar sadness, the sorrow…of a broken heart, and the pain of loss. Somewhere, in this place, were two people who felt the same as he, once, in a life before this, he felt both, at the same time, and it nearly crushed him…

Present  
10:45 AM

Two weeks had passed and Hinata had been avoiding Naruto like the plague. She would avert her gaze when he looked, and left when she felt him close by. Neji, though from the separate branch family, still tried his best to cheer her up, but to no avail. She kept shutting herself in her room; not talking to anyone. It was only the promise of a mission from Kurenai-sensei that pushed her out of her room and the image of Naruto and Ino together to the back of her mind. "Alright" said Kurenai, "You've got a rather dangerous mission from Tsunade-sama..."

After Kurenai-sensei's briefing, Kiba had noticed Hinata seemed distracted and aloof, and he was pretty sure why…

He approached Hinata, much to Akamaru's dismay "So…still upset about that thing with you and Naruto, huh?"Said Kiba.  
"What? Oh…" replied Hinata absentmindedly."Oh…yes I am. It's just the fact that I loved Naruto, and I thought that he loved me back that got to me…It still gets to me...I guess I was wrong… "Kiba could feel Hinata's growing sadness through her words. "Look," replied Kiba, "Normally I don't give a damn about anyone's problems, besides mine and Akamaru's…But feeling sad won't finish this mission, and as team leader, and your friend, all I'm asking is that you concentrate on this mission first, and then we can think about what we can do about your problem, okay?"  
"I guess… okay, I'll try…" She told Kiba with a reassuring smile. "That's good to hear…"


	2. The Meeting

A Meeting

8:51  
Forest outside Konoha

As Team Kurenai made their way towards a clearing in the forest, Kiba thought back to Kurenai-sensei's briefing…

"Alright, team…Tsunade-sama's given us a mission, and I want it done exceptionally."

"Okay…" said Kiba. "So, what's the mission?"

"You are to meet up with a team from the village that filed this mission; they're from the Hidden Storm Village…"

"Hidden…Storm…Village?" replied Kiba. "Funny…I've never heard of that village before…"

"I'm not even sure such a village exists…" interrupted Shino, as he adjusted his shades.

"Well, existing or not, they paid us money to finish a mission, and that's what they'll get!" said Kurenai. "Now… please no more interruptions!"

Kiba still couldn't shake his suspicions surrounding this 'Hidden Storm Village'. The fact that he, nor his teammates had never heard of the village had only deepened those suspicions…

9:04  
Forest Clearing

As they entered the clearing, they saw three figures standing in the middle. The two groups stood facing one another, sizing each other up. Kiba noted their appearance. Almost all of them had some sort of striking feature.

The one on the left was a girl, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and a mini skirt, all black. She wore a long scarf, coloured a bright neon green. She wore shin protectors that were an olive green. But the thing that caught his eye was her hair. It was a bright green. Like the green of grass made lighter. And it was swept slightly upward at the ends

The one on the right was male, with hair that resembled a flame. His wore a vest with a geometric pattern, and wore black pants with flames emblazoned at the ends. He also saw that he wore round shades, just like Shino's.

But the one in the middle, who seemed to be the leader, had the most striking feature.

He wore a mask of gold, from hairline to chin. He also wore a modern monk's garb, complete with prayer beads; the only difference was that his clothes were coloured red and black. And his hair was white, and it pointed forward over the mask.

Then Shades spoke up, breaking the silence.

"So…you're Konoha's Finest?" he said in a mocking tone. "Funny, I expected that you would be…older." He continued. "I guess your village thinks that saving the world isn't that important, hmm? So they decide to send us, kids…hm"

Kiba had had enough of his attitude. "Wanna put your money where your mouth is? Come on, and we'll show you why we're one of Konoha's Finest…" he threatened.

"Ooh, what happened? Did I hit a nerve, Puppy Boy?"

Hinata and Shino didn't know what happened. One second, Kiba was glaring angrily at Shades, then, suddenly, Kiba was on top of him. Blows and curses flew

"I thought only little girls like puppies?" Shades said between blows.

"Those shades are so tacky!!!" yelled Kiba. "No offence, Shino…"

"None taken…" muttered Shino coldly.

The insults continued for a whole half-minute, until…

"ENOUGH!!!"

Both of them stopped to find out who had spoken. It turned out to be the masked man, their leader.

"I've had enough of this roughhousing, now, let's get down to business, shall we?" he said with a flourish.

"Fine…" Kiba replied. "You better watch your back…" he intoned threateningly

Shades simply shrugged.

"I believe we haven't had the pleasure of introductions…"their leader began.

"I'm Arashi Kenshin, this is my squad. This…" he gestured to Shades. "…is Totetsu Fuusaido, an esteemed teammate."

Fuusaido shot Kiba a glare of pure venom, then proceed to shake Hinata's and Shino's hand. He then returned to Kenshin's side.

Kenshin continued. "On my right, is my sister, Arashi Kohryu." He gestured to the girl with green hair, who flashed a quick smile to Kiba's group.

"The reason why we filed in this mission, is because, we need a guide, someone who knows this land like the back of their hand, or in this case…hands." He continued. "I'm on an important mission, and the first step to its completion is to reach the oldest tree in Fire Country, but seeing as we don't know jack about this place, we decided to get a little help from the locals..."

As Kenshin was explaining, Hinata wasn't listening, as she was too busy staring at his mask, imagining what the face behind it looked like… She was snapped out of her reverie when she heard him say…

"So, we've introduced ourselves…Your turn…" he gestured to them.

"Uhhh…" Kiba began. "Okay…Uhm, I'm Kiba."

"This is Shino…" he gestured to him

"And, this is Hinata…" Kiba then gestured to her.

Hinata, ever the wallflower, could only look up from looking at her toes, but was surprised when she saw that Kenshin was looking directly at her.

"Oh…" She felt something familiar rage through her.  
She felt the heat rise to her face…  
She felt the same lightheadedness  
and then, she felt like she was falling…falling…  
This couldn't happen; she only felt like this…when she was with…  
_Naruto…_

Out of the fog of unconsciousness, she heard…voices

"_What's happened to her?" she heard Kenshin say._

_"She fainted, odd, this only happens when she's close or she's with Naruto..." she heard what sounded like Shino's voice drift through the fog of unconciousness._

Then, the inky blackness overtook her mind, and she heard no more...


	3. Campsite Stories

Campsite Stories

Team Kurenai's Tent

Hinata had a very fitful slumber, as her mind constantly wondered…

"What's behind the mask?"

Her answers ranged from a horrible disfigurement, to him not having a face at all! To her, the latter was the most terrifying possibility. After the last thought, sleep had escaped her. Even in waking, she still thought the one thing that intrigued her about Team Arashi…

_What's behind the mask?_

Forest Clearing

Outside, Kiba was sitting on a log, simply staring into the fire. As he absentmindedly stroked Akamaru's head, he thought back to what Kenshin had said earlier in the day…

"Your teammate isn't capable of travelling at that state, we should set camp for the night…"

_Speaking of her, I better check on Hinata… _Kiba thought.

"So, what do you think?" said a voice behind him.

"Hmm?" muttered Kiba shattered from his reverie. Akamaru turned his head to find out who had spoken.

"I mean that other team…" said Shino, who had taken up seat beside him.

"They may have joined us…but we still don't know if they have any ulterior motives…." he continued.

"You're right!" exclaimed Kiba.

"Well, come on!"

"What do you mean?" asked Shino.

"I mean, come on! Let's snoop inside their tent!"

He continued, "They're probably still scouting out a trail right? So while they're away…"

"We'll take a little look around…" completed Shino. "I see…"

"Well, what are we waiting for?"

In the Forest

"You were right, Kenshin…They are snooping around…" said a female voice.

"Huh, what? Oh, yes, just like I said…" said Kenshin.

"You seem distracted…What's wrong?" asked the female voice.

"It's nothing, Kohryu…" Kenshin stole a last look at a locket, as he quickly stowed it under his robes…

"Just nothing…"

"It's the girl…Isn't it?" said Totetsu, standing in the shadows.

Only silence was his reply.

Then, as Kohryu left to meet the two snoops, he called Totetsu…

"Have you called him?"

"Yes, Rem, and I think he's around here somewhere, or not he's not here yet…"

"It doesn't matter, do think he still remembers?"

"Well…you just have to find out later."

"Where'd you find him?"

"In a tree."

Totetsu continued, "So, I am right…It is the girl…"

"It's just, she…looks so much like her."

"Who?"

"No one…"

And as he rose to leave, he gave Totetsu a parting shot…

"Don't bother yourself with the past of your comrade, focus on the mission…

And he set off toward the camp, leaving Totetsu just a bit satisfied that he just dug up some dirt about their leader. "Touchy..." He then followed Kenshin back to the camp, humming a tune to himself.

Team Arashi's Tent

"What've you found?" asked Kiba.

"The tent's relatively Spartan, nothing of interest yet…" replied Shino.

Kiba was quickly losing hope, and the fact that the other team could be coming back any minute did not help keep his hopes up.

He then heard Shino say,

"Hey, Kiba! Get over here!"

"Alright, I'm coming!" Kiba replied.

He saw Shino stooping over what seemed to be a rectangular black box and a pile of scrolls.

"Where'd you find these?" Kiba asked.

"They were under his bag…" Shino replied.

"Who?"

"Kenshin's Bag…"

"Ohhh…"

Kiba snuck a peek at the scrolls. As he unfurled them, he was puzzled.

"What the-…" Kiba exclaimed.

"What is it, Kiba?" said Shino.

"It's these scrolls…I can't make heads or tails out of them…"

"Here, let me see…" said Shino.

_Kiba's right!_ Shino thought. _They're not Kanji, that's for sure…  
_The writing on the scrolls didn't match any kanji he knew of.

"grrrrrr…."

They both heard Akamaru growl, so they took that as a sign to high-tail it out of there.

They couldn't understand what was written on the scrolls, neither could they open the black box, so their efforts were for naught. They immediately dashed out of the tent, slightly disappointed at the lack of results.

Campfire

Hinata had gone out of their tent a little while ago, and had been warming her hands in the fire when she saw the two making a mad dash toward the campfire.

"Hey guys! Where've you been?" she asked.

"Huff, huff, we…huff, huff…were snooping!" said Kiba, in a proud tone of voice.

"Though we found nothing…" muttered Shino

"Snooping where?" said a feminine voice behind him.

Kiba looked behind him and saw the green-haired girl, Kohryu, standing behind him, carrying what seemed to be a rather large smoked lizard.

"I think I'm going to be sick…" said Hinata, as she turned a shade of green.

"Are we gonna eat that?" asked Kiba.

"Oh! Nonono…hehe" she giggled. "Our teammate, Totetsu, is sort of a survivalist, he likes living off the jungle and so on…"

"Thank goodness!" exclaimed Hinata.

Later that night…

Around the campfire, almost everyone was eating rice balls, and only Totetsu was the eating, uhh, "off the jungle"…And it wasn't helping their appetites any that they were watching him eat, and yes, it was as messy as you could imagine.

They all stopped eating and left the campfire once he got to the head.

End of Ch.3


	4. The Journey

The Journey

The next morning, Kiba was snoozing peacefully in his bed, when he was rudely awakened by a loud clanging.

"Wakey-wakey, sleepyhead!!!"

"AAAAAAAHHHH!!!"

Kiba sat straight up, and clamped his hands over his ears. That's when he saw Kohryu standing over his sleeping bag. She was holding a pan marked with a yellow star at the bottom, and strangely, it was colored baby blue.

"Kenshin said that we're burning daylight, and he said that I should wake all of the ones still sleeping, so…I did!" she said cheerfully.

"But we haven't had breakfast yet…" Kiba grumbled.

"You got snacks?" asked Kohryu.

Kiba thought for a moment.

"Umm…Yeah?" he said tentatively.

"Well, then…there's breakfast!"

Somewhere in the Forest

9:15 AM

"Ok! Take five everyone!"  
"JUST FIVE?!?"  
"Okay! We'll leave at ten thirty!"

Kenshin's call for a break sounded like an oasis in a desert of exhaustion.

They had progressed on a path that led to the center of the forest, where Shino believed that the first tree was located.

"After all, if the tree was planted there, then its seeds would be spread throughout the area, as there is only one kind of tree that exists in the forest, as far as my observation goes… "

So as they traveled, they encountered cliffs, ravines, and narrow passages. And when they arrived at the top of a cliff, they rested and ate their meager breakfasts.

"Ration your food, we may need them if we can't find any food for lunch…" said Kenshin.

They watched him open his pack, and pull out a cookie. The whole group simply watched with bated breath, after all, he has to remove his mask to eat, right?

They watched as he brought the cookie closer to his mask, and then…

The mask then formed a thin slit under its nose, and the area underneath the thin slit simply _retracted. _It revealed a mouth, unscarred or deformed, and he bit into the cookie, and held onto it with his teeth.

He then turned to look at them and said, "Whuff?" he said, slightly muffled.

The group then realized that they had been staring at him since he brought out the cookie. The group then tried to pretend that they were doing something important, but they learned one thing that greatly settled them…

_We all don't know what he looks like; at least I'm not alone…_

When Kenshin had finished his cookie, he noticed that the girl, Hinata, was simply looking at the sky, as she sat under a tree.

Kenshin approached her, and then pulled out another cookie.

"Want one?"

She simply smiled shyly, and said, "Oh, no thank you…I've already eaten…"

"Well, can't let a good cookie go to waste!" the mask retracted again as the cookie neared his mouth.

"You really like cookies, don't you?" she said.

"Actually, I like anything sweet. I've got an insane sweet tooth, and it also helps that I've got a fast metabolism, so it doesn't really affect me." Kenshin replied.

He pulled out a gumstick and put it in his mouth, and started to chew.

Hinata looked at him for a moment, and found herself smiling a bit, and then she gazed back at the sky.

And they spent the time that way, simply gazing at the sky.

10:30 AM

They started a little while later after they got a good rest, as Kenshin and his team expected to be at the tree by sundown.

As they crossed a narrow path across a valley, they all felt uneasy as they crossed the path carefully.

Hinata then felt something loosen under her foot, and then, she felt herself fall…

She slid across the scree, unable to find a handhold; she then saw the slope end at a sharp drop…

_So_, she despaired, _this is how it ends, I didn't even get to patch things up with…Naruto…._

She saw a stone shelf protrude from the slope. It caught her just before she went over the edge.

She looked up, and saw that Kenshin had used the jutsu, and was standing on a shelf of his own.

"You alright?" He yelled down to her.

"I'm fine…thank you." She said.

As he helped her up, he found himself staring straight into her eyes, those pools of moonlight looking right back at him.

"Uhm…well, up you go." He muttered hastily.

"Again…thanks" As she said this, she blushed a bright red.

"You better be careful, I can't keep covering for you like this, Selene…"

Hinata then turned to look at him.

"What did you call me?"

He caught himself, and then said, "Uhh…it was nothing, just a slip of the tongue…"

"You called me…Selene…"

Kenshin took a deep breath, and then said quietly…

"Let's go…we're wasting time…"

They continued on their way, but all of them, most of all Hinata, was wondering the same thing…

_Who's Selene?_

5:35 PM

Heart of the Forest

The oldest tree in the forest was as majestic as you would think, with its massive boughs, and wide bower, it was one of the largest trees in the forest.

"Let's set camp here, what I need to do, I need to do in the morning." Kenshin said.

Totetsu then walked up to him, and said,

"He's still not here yet…"

"Well, we were on the move; we had to make the tree at sundown." Kenshin replied

"Why did you send for a guy like him? He freaks me out, the way that thing around his head looks, just…freaks the crap out of me…"

"It's not a matter if he freaks you out, I need him, and he's the only one here that I know… "

"But still…If he joined that kind of organization, do think he still remembers? "

"I trust he'll know the face behind this mask…"

End of Ch.4


	5. A Midnight Visitor, A Sleepless Night

A Midnight Guest, a Sleepless Night

Forest Clearing  
12:15 PM

The middle of the night, and both teams were sleeping soundly in their tents. That is with the exception of one, lone Kenshin. As he waited for his "guest", he simply thought about his life, or the myriads of lives he led.

He was shocked out of his reverie when he heard a rustle in the undergrowth. He turned, and saw a strange sight. He saw a being step forth from the forest. He had what seemed to be a Venus fly-trap covering his head, wore a cloak with red clouds for a design, and his face was divided into black and white halves.

"Are you the one that sent for us?" asked the figure.

"Yes, Zetsu, I'm the one that called for you." replied Kenshin.

"And what's stopping us from killing you right now?" The white half threatened menacingly.

"_We haven't had a meal for a long time…_" continued the black half.

"I could give you one reason…No; I'll show you why…" With a flourish, the mask evaporated, and Zetsu gasped at what he saw.

"_You! How did you get here…_" began the black half.

"Y-You know him?" asked the white half.

"_Yes, now, we must have a talk, Rem. It's been far too long…_" continued the black half.

"Yes, Cyriel, it has been a long time. Where do the years go by?" replied Kenshin.

"_What are you doing here? I thought your kind stayed in the high places…_"

"I'm here to stop it from destroying this realm…"

"Cyriel? What is this name he calls you?" interrupted the white half.

"_Shut up! We're having a conversation…_"

"And now you have a companion! Cyriel, from the Angel of the Forest, to Zetsu, the Assassin-for-hire. O, how far you have fallen!" exclaimed Kenshin.

"What do you want?" asked Zetsu, quaking in anger.

"I want information…On everything about this Realm, from its first breaths, to its current state…"

1:35 AM

When Zetsu had left, Kenshin knew enough about Konoha's history to keep up with a conversation with Hinata and her group. As his mask shone in the glow of the moonlight, he brought out a locket, and gazed at it for a few moments.

"Can't sleep, huh?"

His thoughts were disturbed by a voice behind him. He turned around, and saw Hinata walking towards him.

"Yeah…the plants were too noisy…rustled around a lot…How about you?" Kenshin asked.

"I was just thinking about someone who I loved once, it kept me up…" replied Hinata.

"So, what happened between you?"

"He cheated on me."

Kenshin was silent for a moment, staring at the grass beneath him, and then looked back at Hinata. He was surprised to find that she had tears in her eyes.

"I just thought that he loved me…I loved him, and I thought he loved me back…It just hurts…" she wept.

Kenshin did his best to comfort her, "Look, it's not your fault; he was a jerk for not loving someone as lovely, and as pretty as…you."

Hinata gazed at him for a moment, and Kenshin looked back at her. He then said, "Look, how about this…would you like to see my face?"

Hinata gave him a look, and then said a quiet, "yes…"

She reached toward his mask, and she pulled. It didn't put up any resistance, and simply fell away…

Hinata was simply shocked, as it was not what she expected. It was not horribly disfigured, nor did he lack a face, he was as handsome as Sasuke, and his eyes…his eyes were the brightest blue…

Kenshin found himself gazing into Hinata's eyes…Those deep pools that seemed to catch the moonlight, almost glowing themselves, and couldn't help being drawn into those pools...

Then, he felt her soft lips; he caressed her as if she would break at the slightest touch…

Hinata was so close, she could feel his breath on her lips, and then, she could feel nothing but the passion in this…one…kiss…

End of Ch. 4


	6. A Meeting In Yggdrasil

A Meeting in Yggdrasil

The next morning, Kenshin watched Hinata as she slept beside him. After the kiss, they simply talked about life in general… Trivial things…

And at about 4 o' clock, the question Kenshin had dreaded finally came up…

"So, who's Selene?" asked Hinata.

It took a while for him to answer, but he did.

"She's someone I knew, a long time ago…" Kenshin replied, as he gazed at the slowly brightening sky.

"Was she nice?"

He simply chuckled. "Yep, she was…the nicest girl on the whole team…"

"What team?" asked Hinata, slightly puzzled.

He was silent for a moment,

"Look, why don't you get some sleep, we've got along day ahead of us..."

Hinata looked at him for moment, and then lay back down on the grass.

And now, as he watched her sleep in peace, he brushed a lock of hair from her face. She stirred slightly at his touch, but did not wake.

He thought about who Selene was, and the same thought popped into his mind, a raven-haired girl, running ahead of him.

As is in dreams, he could not make out her face, but he knew, he simply knew that those twinkling green eyes, would always be filled with joy.

So as he carried Hinata back to her tent, his thoughts returned to the task facing him.

He laid her down in her sleeping bag, and watched her for a moment, thinking…

_It's just the eye_s, he thought, _Selene's had the forest, but Hinata had the moon…_

"Other than that, they're different…" he whispered.

He went to his tent, opened his pack, and fished out a small sack.

"You gonna do it?" a voice suddenly spoke in the steadily brightening gloom.

Kenshin tensed, was _he_ here? "Who's there?" He pulled out a kunai, and pointed it in the direction of the voice.

"Show yourself!" he whispered.

Totetsu's face emerged from the shadows.

"Hey, easy where you point that thing…" he said as he looked nervously at the kunai's very close edge.

"You know this measly weapon doesn't have a chance of hurting you…" Kenshin replied.

"So…what'ya do last night?" he smirked.

"I spoke with Cyriel, got what I needed, that's it."

"Then, you would have returned here after you spoke with him…"

"Enough…" interrupted Kenshin. "I'm wasting time; what I'm going to do, I need to do now..."

Totetsu simply leaned back into the shadows as he watched their leader leave.

Kenshin walked toward the tree's wide trunk, and pulled out the small sack, and sat at the tree's base.  
He brought out a small mortar and pestle, and pushed out the contents of the sack into it. It was a seed the size of a thumb, and when it was inside the mortar, he proceeded to pound it into powder.

Hinata felt that she wasn't outside anymore, so when she woke up, she found herself in her tent, wondering…

Was it just a dream?

Did I really see Kenshin's face?

Did I really…_kiss_ him?

So she walked out of the tent, as she had no one to talk to, (Kiba and Shino were still sleeping.) to get some fresh air. That's when she noticed Kenshin walking toward the tree, holding a small sack in his hand. So she simply followed him, and watched him pull out a mortar and pestle and went to grind whatever was in the sack into powder.

She felt a sort of Déjà Vu when, two weeks ago, she was watching Naruto and Ino at the Ramen Shop.  
And now, here she was, spying on someone else…

When Kenshin saw that no more solid bits of the seed remained, he pulled out a lighter, and lit the mortar. A pale green smoke issued from the powder as it burned, and Kenshin raised it to his face, and inhaled…

Hinata was getting woozy, she didn't know why, but it was something in…the…smoke…

After that thought, the darkness of unconsciousness, her constant companion, claimed her once more…

It's a curious sound, the beating of a heart, and almost like an alarm clock, it has a rhythm…

_Tha-thump…_

_Tha-thump…_

_Tha-thump… _

And it was to this alarm clock that Hinata woke to. She opened her eyes, and saw the stars, and the overhanging branches of a tree. She rose from her place, and she saw that she had been lying on a massive root. She looked behind her, and saw the owner of said root…

It was the largest, most ancient-looking tree she had ever seen…

And along its length, she saw Kenshin walking down it toward the trunk. He seemed oblivious of Hinata's presence, so Hinata tried to follow him.

As she went after Kenshin, she saw that the whole tree was floating in space, and that the other roots led off to infinity.

She was so busy sightseeing; she almost forgot what she was doing. She saw Kenshin enter a hollow in the trunk, so she promptly followed. As she entered the hollow, she was awestruck at its immense height.

_Wow, the hollow must run the whole length of the trunk!_ She thought.

She found a small alcove in the wall in which she could observe Kenshin without him noticing her.

She watched as he sat down, and pulled out a flute, in which he played a haunting melody that made Hinata rather lethargic. She almost fell asleep; but she was surprised when she watched the walls of the tree suddenly create another entrance. She watched as a figure step forth from the entrance. The hood of his trenchcoat was pulled down, showing his rugged features. He walked toward Kenshin.

"Fancy seeing you here, Remiel…"

"This is urgent, Orphiel!" replied Kenshin.

"It probably is, as you wouldn't meet me in the World Tree for tea and cookies…"

"I'm here to report that the realm of Konoha is still untainted by Cataclysm's touch." Kenshin said.

"And what of his Avatar? Is there an individual who could be one?" Orphiel asked.

"None as of yet, but there are three possibilities…" replied Kenshin.

"Namely?"

Kenshin pulled out three scrolls. He unfurled them and presented its contents.

"The first, and most likely, Avatar, is a man named Orochimaru, one of Konoha's legendary three ninjas…" He opened the scroll, and Orochimaru's pale white face leered out at Orphiel.

"He looks like a snake…"

"The second is, Madara Uchiha…an Immortal shinobi."

He unfurled the next scroll, and Madara Uchiha's face appeared, Sharingan fully developed.

"Immortal, you say? Interesting…"

"And last, but not the least, is Pein, a missing-nin from Hidden Rain...."

"Missing…what? Honestly, Rem, this realm's language is starting to rub off you…" Orphiel interrupted.

Kenshin simply unfolded the scroll, and Pein's face suddenly appeared, piercings and all. Kenshin noticed that Orphiel was gazing intently at Pein's eyes.

"Those eyes, they resemble the eyes of Zalthiel, an excommunicated angel…." Orphiel remarked.

"Are you saying that Pein may have descended from Zalthiel?

"Yes, and I'm also saying that..." He suddenly paused. He glanced behind Kenshin.

"That a Mortal…has followed you to the World Tree."


	7. Revelations

Revelations

Hinata's blood ran cold in her veins. She watched as Orphiel slowly move toward her hiding spot. She couldn't think of anywhere she could go.

She was trapped.

Kenshin was shocked. He couldn't even think of how a mortal could've followed him.

_A mortal? In Yggdrasil? No mortals have _ever_ seen, or even arrived at the World Tree! _

But, today, it seemed, someone had followed him…and he would soon find out who…

Orphiel reached in the alcove in the wall, and pulled out a girl, a girl he knew rather well…

"Hinata? What are you doing here? This is a divine place! None but the Celestial Beings, The Angels, and the Elements are allowed to see this place, let alone set foot in it!"

Hinata was quite ashamed of herself, but then she realized that Kenshin was accusing her of trespassing.

"So why are you here then?" Hinata replied angrily.

Kenshin didn't answer, but let his words sink in to Hinata.

"So…does this mean…That you…you're…" she stammered.

"That's right…" he said.

Suddenly, two white wings unfurled from his back. He looked at Hinata, and then said…

"I'm an Angel…"

Hinata couldn't believe it…

_Kenshin…An Angel? That's impossible! _

_Is it?_

Orphiel simply looked at her intently, and then smiled at her.

"I can see why you like her…She looks just like-"

"Selene, I know…" interrupted Kenshin.

"Hmm…you're right…" then his gaze returned to Hinata.

"You've heard enough, mortal…Be gone from this sacred place!"

And with those words, Hinata saw the edges of her vision darken, and then…she simply faded out…

"Wow… "Orphiel began. "I didn't expect that would work…"

"You mean, that wasn't supposed to make her leave?"

"Yeah…But you're changing the subject. You're getting careless, Remiel…Imagine, you, letting a mortal follow you here to these hallowed grounds…" rebuked Orphiel

"I felt her essence tugging at me when I entered, but I paid no heed…Forgive me…" Kenshin apologized to him.

"Let me guess, now that you've done your part, you want info, eh?"

"That's right…on every realm, I've met her, I tried to save her, but, in the end, she always dies! Why is that so?!?" Kenshin asked, enraged.

"You and Selene are not fated to be together!" replied Orphiel, impatience evident in his voice.

"Then why can't we be together?!? Why has Fate decreed that we be kept apart? Why, why, WHY?!?" he yelled at Orphiel.

After his outburst, he faded out, severing his connection to the World Tree.

"Damn, he must've run out of Yggdrasil seed powder, shame…" he scratched his head, sighing.

"I was about to tell him too…"

He went over to where Kenshin disappeared, pulled out a pouch, and scattered the powder within across the empty space. It revealed a man-sized fracture in space.

"Remiel, always sloppy…"

He then stepped through the rift, and vanished as well.

Hinata felt like she was being pulled through a needle, and it seemed to stretch on forever, but as suddenly as it came, it stopped, and it was replaced by a rhythmic pounding in her s.

She opened her heavy eyelids, and saw Kiba hovering over her, and Shino standing a few feet away.

"Hey, are you all right? We saw that you were passed out…what happened?" Kiba asked.

"I…uh…wasn't I…Ohh, my head…" she clutched her pounding head.

She looked over to the tree, and found Kenshin standing up from his seated position. She couldn't see, but she was pretty sure that he was very angry behind that mask.

"Hinata, I need to talk to you…alone…" he said to her.

"Wait, should we come?" asked Kiba, looking worried.

"Do you understand the meaning of the world _alone_?" He hissed.

Kiba fell silent, a retort dying in his throat when he felt Kenshin's cold glare on him.

Totetsu and Kohryu arrived as Kenshin and Hinata began to walk toward the forest.

"Do you think he'll explain to her the nature of our mission?" Totetsu asked Kohryu.

"If Orphiel said what I think he said, oh yes…he will…" said Kohryu in her airy voice.

As Kiba watched the four depart for privacy, he can't help but wonder…

_What could be that important to be kept secret?_

Kiba was just about ready to go back to his tent for some sleep when a man emerged from where Kenshin was sitting a while ago.

He wore a long trenchcoat with the collar pulled up, working together with his long black hair to hide his face.

"Excuse me," he asked Kiba and Shino. "Have you seen a young man with a mask, and could you point me in the direction where he went?"

Kenshin's mind was racing as they approached another clearing.

_What would I say? She already knows that I'm an Angel…_

_Should I tell her about the mission?_

Kohryu and Totetsu were sensing the tension in the air. Hinata was merely silent.

"Here, we won't be heard here…" he said as they stopped in the center of the clearing.

"What were you doing in Yggdrasil?" he asked quietly.

"I…I was…I didn't know…" Hinata mumbled.

"It's fine…It's fine, I shouldn't have been so careless…" he replied.

He continued, "I will tell you everything about us, and the reason why we're here, for you have seen Yggdrasil, and have set foot in it…"

"I will tell you the whole truth…"

Hinata could only watch in wonder as Kenshin unfurled his majestic wings once more. Kohryu and Totetsu tensed at his sudden revelation.

Hinata looked at Kenshin in a new light. He seemed to glow, and his mask emitted a glimmer like a torch. His wings shone the brightest; making the surrounding trees cast menacing, flickering shadows on the ground.

_He was so beautiful…_

The glow subsided, and only his wings shone.

"Now, for the truth… My name is not Kenshin Arashi, nor is Kohryu my sister… My true name…is Remiel, the Tempest Angel, Kohryu and Totetsu; they are what you call _kami_, elemental spirits. Namely, that of Fire and Wind…"

At those words, the duo changed in front of Hinata. Kohryu blossomed fairy wings on her back. They seemed to be made of the clouds, and were coloured a light green.

Kohryu's metamorphosis was surprising, but Totetsu's change was even more shocking…

His spiky hair suddenly burst into flame, and started to engulf his whole head. A flame also started on his fingertips, and started to spread up to his forearms. His head was already covered in fire, and within the fire, a face was floating inside.

(Note: Think Heatblast and you're pretty close, except his eyes have two curved cuts underneath them.)

His forearms were also covered in flame, and inside, two black hands that seemed to grasp the flames.

"Hinata, meet Agni and Rudra, the spirits of Wind and Fire." Kenshin said as he gestured to them.

Hinata was astonished; she could not believe what she was seeing. Here they were, the spirits of Wind and Fire, standing right in front of her! She fought the impulse to faint, as she thought that she spent days with them.

"It is truly an honor, Ma'am…Sir…" as she bowed low.

A glowing hand touched her on the cheek, and pulled her up. It was Agni, and strangely, his burning hands did not scald her, in fact, they were simply warm.

"There's no need for that, Hinata, one never bows to a friend…" He said as he smiled.

Kenshin smiled under his mask.

_She's taking it pretty well…_ he mused.

"Now, the reason why we're here is to protect this realm from Cataclysm…" he said, his tone serious.

Hinata listened intently; after all, she would be the only person ever to hear this…

"Ghatanoreth, the Cataclysm, is an entity borne out of Chaos for one reason, to destroy and revert all worlds into the black void of Chaos." He continued.

"We believe that someone is using him for his own ends, and that person knows that Cataclysm has an Avatar in every realm, The Chaos Revenant…" interrupted Kohryu.

"As Kohryu was saying, the Chaos Revenant is a person most likely to cause chaos in a realm. " continued Kenshin.

"And we, the Dominion, a select group of warrior angels, are sent to realms that are within Cataclysm's sights, that's why we were sent here…" said Kenshin.

"Actually, that's not why you were sent here…" a voice suddenly spoke.

They all assumed a stance of battle, all ready to fight.

"Who's there?!?" yelled Kenshin.

The speaker stepped from the forest. It was the one Hinata knew as Orphiel. The two _Kami_ immediately kneeled in respect.

"Rise, Spirits of the Elements…" he said in an almost lazy drawl.

"Orphiel, what are you doing here?" asked Kenshin, puzzled.

"I was about to tell you why you and Selene could never be together…" explained Orphiel.

His feelings from before bubbled up from within him, but his curiosity kept it at bay…

"Okay, you found me, so go ahead..."

Orphiel sighed as he began…

"You weren't meant to be together, for you were fated to be with…"

He then pointed a gloved finger at Hinata.

"…Her."

Kenshin had the same look of astonishment on his face as Hinata.

"For you see…The realm you dwelled in when you were still alive, was but the future of this world, and Selene was Hinata's descendant in the future." he explained.

"And after all, Fate reasoned, why be content in a filtered version, when you could've had the real thing, So I reasoned with Fate to allow me to send you here, to be with the real Selene." He smiled at Hinata as he said the last part.

"But what about Cataclysm…and my mission?" asked a confused Kenshin.

"Me and a buddy from a few years back took him on a few weeks back, and whupped his Revenant straight back to his cave…" he added as he began to leave.

"So, I was sent here for nothing?" Kenshin asked.

"No, I sent you here, for you were growing numb to your heart because of the death of your love… and growing numb, is an awful thing to feel.

A glimmering portal opened a few feet away from him, waiting to bear its lone traveler. Where, Hinata thought, she would probably never know.

But one thought niggled the back of her mind…

"Orphiel-san!" She called to him.

"Yes, my dear?" he turned to look at her.

"Who was your buddy?"

He stopped to think for a moment, as if he had forgotten. Then he lit up when he remembered.

"Ah yes, Kakashi Hatake, a pleasant man, a bit tardy, but a good fighter…I trust that you know him?" he said as he turned to leave.

He stepped into the portal, and was seen no more…


	8. Epilogue

Epilogue

Kenshin woke to another day, thankful he was alive. He went to his bathroom, and took a shower. As he stayed in the shower's warm spray, he thought about the revelation Orphiel told him a week ago…

He wasn't meant to be with Selene, because Fate reserved him for something better…

_Yeah…Something way better…._He mused.

As he got out of the shower, he glanced at the photo on his desk.

It was of him and Hinata, with The Hokage Great Stone Faces as a backdrop. They had it taken yesterday, when he asked her to show him the sights of Konoha. He even removed his mask when they went out. He had felt so happy, not only did he get to see this realm's beauty; he got a girl as beautiful as this land…

He went to his kitchen, and made himself some breakfast. When he had finished, he set out for the meeting place he and Hinata had agreed on…

Hinata had a certain spring in her step as she went to Ichiraku Ramen. A flash of irony struck her, since her heartache began here, and it seemed…that it would end here too.

She approached the Ramen Shop and saw that Kenshin was standing there, waiting for her. She was overjoyed when she saw that he had left his mask at home again.

_He really looks better without that mask…_ she thought to herself as she got closer.

She saw him smile as she approached. She smiled back…

"Hey, Hinata…" he began.

"Hey yourself…" she replied, smiling as she did so.

"What's up?" asked Hinata.

"Well…since you showed me the sights yesterday…I was wandering 'round Konoha's forest, I found a great place for a picnic…and, well…I want you to come with me…" he replied.

"Oh…Okay…Sure!" she replied happily.

As they walked along the path toward the gates of Konoha, Kenshin had noticed that Hinata was suddenly quiet and withdrawn. He looked ahead and saw Hinata's former lover, Naruto Uzumaki, walking down the path with his new girl, Ino, as Hinata had told him when they had returned from their mission…

Obviously, Hinata still felt some feelings for him…

"Oh, hey Hinata! How are ya!" greeted Naruto, oblivious to Hinata's discomfort.

"O-oh…hi, N-naruto-kun…" she greeted shyly.

Ino simply rolled her eyes, wondering why they were wasting their time talking to this wallflower.

"Come on, Naruto, we have more important things to do than chat with your ex…" she complained.

Hinata felt her anger bubble up inside her. She was just referred to as a leftover, something you use then throw away…

Kenshin felt her anger, and tried to calm her down.

"Come on…let's go, Hinata…" he coaxed gently.

Ino continued to insult them while they moved away.

"At least Naruto is brave enough to fight for his girl, unlike some people here…" she glanced over to the pair as they walked away.

Then, Kenshin stopped in his tracks. Hinata's anger had subsided and was now trying to calm Kenshin down, to no avail. He turned

"Naruto…Is your girl calling me a coward?"

Naruto looked angrily at Ino, and replied…

"Don't mind her…she's just blowing off steam."

"I don't need to defend her, Ino…Her actions and personality speak for themselves… that's not cowardice, that's respect, for the lady…" Kenshin replied to Ino.

Ino was stunned at this reply, but Kenshin wasn't finished, not by a long shot…

"And Naruto…You were a complete idiot for letting a girl that special…" he pointed to Hinata.

"…leave you…"

With that, Kenshin turned away, but then, he yelled…

"And you're a retard for breaking her heart!"

Naruto was stunned, but he knew in his heart that Hinata's new boyfriend was right. He still felt a twinge of guilt for cheating on her, and he still felt some love for her…

The Forest outside Konoha

Isn't it beautiful?

Hinata looked at Kenshin, seeing him in a new light.

"Yes, yes it is…" she replied.

The "place" Kenshin had found, was a hill at the highest point of the Forest, and it overlooked the city of Konoha.

"Wow, the stone faces look so small from here!" she exclaimed.

Kenshin was pleased when he saw Hinata so happy. He remembered the times he had with Selene, but with Hinata, his happiness was tenfold…

"I knew you'd like this place, you can see all of Konoha…" he gestured to the view.

They were silent for a moment, drinking in the view…

Then Hinata then spoke after a few minutes,

"Kenshin-kun…"

"Yes, Hinata?" he replied

She twiddled her fingers for a moment, and then said a quiet…

"Thank you for fighting for me back there with Naruto & Ino…'

Kenshin only smiled, and he caressed her face gently.

"You know I'll always be there to protect you…"

And they looked back to the view, knowing that finally, they had someone to be with…

Someone to love…

Forever…

End

And thus ends our tale…thank you for putting up with my writing, as you wouldn't be reading this unless you followed each chapter. Thank you.

Oh and here's the first scene, I've finally got the guts to make it!

And yes…That is Rem's Mask over there.


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